PS4 'announcement is important for the industry,' according to Microsoft executive

In the midst of the impending announcement of the assumed PlayStation 4 this week, Microsoft UK executive Jon Grimes put his two cents in on the importance of the next generation announcement for the entire industry.

Grimes, speaking in regards to what the announcement means to Microsoft, also said, "They'll (customers) still want to buy the devices out there. Our job is not to get lost in the industry chatter, but to ensure that the consumers going into stores, going online, still experience Xbox." The trend that Sony has with its consoles consistently allows each console to financially exist in the industry for ten years. So, even though Sony looks to announce a new console, the PlayStation 3 will still be part of the industry for a while due to the PS3's console longevity.

We still have a long time to wait for the Wednesday announcement, but it's hard not to consider how the industry will respond to Sony's first step into the next generation. Microsoft had it last time with the Xbox 360, but Sony, unless something dreadful happens, all but has the lead into the next round of gaming consoles.